Only Human
by FeraligatrMan
Summary: What if Ash started his journey with a venipede? Find out what happens when Ash learns something about himself that could change the course of history itself. Rated M for cursing.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. Hello! I'm FeraligatrMan, and welcome to my first fanfiction ever! I'm pretty excited about it, and I hope it turns out.**

 **Anyhoo, this story** _ **is**_ **M-rated, mostly to give me a bit of wiggle room… and for swearing. This is just a thought that popped in my head and I have no real direction with it as of now. At least, until I find a decent plot that hasn't been touched or has been underwritten. It might be a while folks, so don't hold your breath. HA! Who am I kidding? Nobody will, not yet at least. XD**

 **Otherwise, reviews are highly appreciated, and any questions that do not end up spoiling anything will most likely be answered in future author's notes, if I deem them good enough questions to answer. Flames will be used to heat my room. Minnesota is cold, let me tell you.**

 **I also appreciate constructive criticism. If you do like it, leave a review. (Hint, hint: Reviews are huge motivators for me. I am a lazy ass so reviews will highly increase chances of future chapters.)**

 **Oh, and I do not own Pokemon or make any money off of this fanfiction, unfortunately. This goes for all future chapters as well.**

 **Now, you can sit back, relax, and (hopefully) enjoy the first chapter of "Only Human".**

Thunder boomed as a startled Ash bolted upright in bed. It was still dark out, but Ash wasn't sure he could go back to sleep. Bleary eyes sought out the alarm clock that would decide if sleep was still an option.

 **5:38**

Ash rubbed his eyes before blinking owlishly at it again.

 **5:39**

'Damn, why did I have to wake up so early?' Ash thought as he groggily slid out of bed. Another flash of lightning was quickly accompanied by a bone-rattling boom, signaling the approaching thunderstorm.

Ash sighed. What a great way to start what he could easily consider to be the most important day of his life. The teen stepped into the bathroom down the hall to relieve himself and prepare himself for the day with a cold shower. Hot showers always made him drowsy, while cold ones focused him and got him out of the shower quicker, which was a bonus because his mother always reprimanded him about taking too long in the shower and wasting the hot water. Ash grimaced as he stepped into the shower.

Delia Ketchum could scare anybody with the low, emotionless voice she would use when she was just a _little_ pissed off. You could forget when she was truly angry. You had a better chance charging a stampeding herd of tauros head-on.

Ten minutes later saw Ash out of the shower, shivering. He looked into the mirror above the sink and spotted small, dark circles perched just below his eyes, a result of the endless studying into the night he had been doing for the last few nights. No sense in charging out into the wilderness and forgetting everything you need to know to survive.

But now, the one day he actually went to bed on time, he was torn from sleep by a stupid _thunderstorm_ of all things. He wasn't afraid of thunder, or lightning for that matter. He shook his head as he brought himself down to earth.

He brushed his teeth and attempted to tame his unruly raven hair before stepping out of the bathroom wrapped in only a towel, still a bit wet. Ash silently made his way towards his room, hoping he didn't wake his mother. One time, he dropped the shampoo bottle in the shower at four in the morning when he couldn't get to sleep.

Never again.

The doorknob was just in reach before a light tap on his shoulder startled him into nearly dropping his towel. Ash spun around only to see a surprised mr. mime, who was slowly bringing down its arm. Ash sighed in relief. It was only Mimey, his mother's pokemon and part-time housekeeper.

"Arceus, Mimey. One day you're going to give me a heart attack," Ash whispered with half-hearted anger. Mimey's shocked look morphed into an embarrassed one, which quickly turned into a questioning expression.

Ash chuckled before replying in a hushed tone, "It's the day I start my journey, Mimey. The thunder didn't exactly help either." Mimey nodded her head in understanding. She could sympathize with the young man.

Ash nodded to her before accidentally backing into the door. Both he and Mimey winced at the loud noise before the teen opened the door to his room much more quietly and slipped in. The moment the door was closed, he let out a loud sigh of relief. Maybe this day would go better than he expected.

All other thoughts were cast aside as Ash fully began to comprehend the idea of finally beginning his journey after years and years of watching the older kids battling in the small field in the center of town. Ever since one lady brought an incredibly rare dragonair to town when he was seven, Ash had wanted to explore the world and catch as many pokemon as he possibly could.

Nine years later, the years of agonizing waiting would finally come to an end. Ash grinned stupidly as he thought about his starter. Long ago, he had decided that a charmander would be the best partner for him. The charmander line was known for their ferocity in battle, as well as their loyalty to a good trainer. Bulbasaur and squirtle were both good options, too, but the majority of bulbasaur he had met before were meek and quiet. Ash didn't have any idea if they were all that way, which he doubted, but the deciding factor would be the battle style.

Squirtle and charmander both had an offensive presence on the battlefield, judging by what Ash had seen in the hundreds of battles he had witnessed in town over the years. Although he did admit, squirtle had pretty decent defenses with the hard shells they carried on their backs. Bulbasaur, on the other hand, tended to rely on status effects and craftiness to win, which was not usually the approach an overexcited teenage boy would take.

There were battle simulators on the computers at the small school in Pallet Town, which offered aspiring trainers a small glimpse into the world of battling. Ash learned a lot about his battle style while demolishing hundreds of digital pokemon with his own, such as the fact that he would usually charge right into a battle and use brute force to win. Eventually, he learned that tactics and the use of status effects would be useful, too. It would not do to lose just because of a hot head and loss of common sense. His battle style could have changed, but at the time, it had not.

With bulbasaur out of the way, that left squirtle and charmander to decide between. It was pretty obvious that charizard, charmander's final evolution, were highly offensive while blastoise, squirtle's final evolution, were a mixture of defense and offense, which Ash really liked. But charizard were able to fly and were extremely fast and agile, even if they weren't trained very well. Blastoise had the disadvantage of bulk and low speeds. Now, Ash wasn't a genius when it came to battling, but he could see that a squirtle would be a bad decision for him if he wanted a pokemon that could move around quickly- and charizard looked cool.

So, Ash chose charmander.

The teen grinned as he pictured himself walking down Route 1 with his charmander, battling any stray pidgey or rattata that foolishly walked into their path.

Ash blinked before realizing that if he wanted to get a starter at all, standing around wrapped in a towel wasn't going to do much good. He whipped around before grabbing the outfit he had laid out for himself the previous night. He slipped on his underwear and socks before his blue jeans and white t-shirt went on quickly after. A thick grey-and-black hoodie followed as well as his signature hat.

He grabbed his new pack, which contained many things he would need on the road, and dashed out of the room. He took the steps down two at a time and doubled back towards the kitchen only to collide with his mother. A load of clean laundry fell to the floor before Delia lightly smacked Ash in the back of his head.

"Why are you in such a rush? You have an hour before you need to be at Oak's." Delia sighed. "Now I'm going to have to refold all these clothes." She gave her son the stink-eye before hustling him into the kitchen, where she whipped up a nice plate of eggs and pancakes. Ash began to devour everything in sight the moment the plate touched the table. Delia frowned.

"I hope your manners improve on your journey. If you meet any girls, they won't want to be near you or your terrible table manners." Delia smiled. Ash blushed.

"You know I don't plan on traveling with anyone anyways, Mom. I don't want anybody getting in my way." Ash frowned.

More people meant having to make sure they were safe and fed, which was a nuisance. Ash wasn't exactly social, either. The only people he ever really spent time with were his mother and the Professor, as well as many of the pokemon that inhabited Oak's ranch, near the labs.

"Well, sweetie. Sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to, and sometimes, it's better than if you had it your own way," Delia said before handing Ash a tall glass of orange juice.

Ash grunted in acknowledgment and gratefully gulped down the proffered beverage. Thunder boomed again as both looked out the window. Rain had begun to pour down, soaking everything.

"Shit, not now," Ash muttered under his breath.

"Language!" Delia reprimanded.

"Sorry, Mom. Um, I think I should go, now. I want to get there early," Ash stated, slightly cowed. His mother had hearing like none other, unfortunately for him.

"Alright then. Be careful, and I want you to make sure you're changing your underwear every day. I know you forget." Delia said before giving his son a motherly hug.

Ash blushed _really_ hard this time, his face redder than a tamato berry.

"Mom! Don't say stuff like that! People think I'm weird enough as it is." Now he really wanted to leave, if only to escape further embarrassment.

"Fine," Delia's voice turned cold. "Call me when you reach _any_ town with a Center, you hear?"

Ash nodded vigorously before giving his mother a quick hug. Then, the young boy dashed towards the door, pack in hand, and slipped on his black-and-white tennis shoes.

"I'll be back so you can meet my new pokemon and then I'll finally start my journey!" Ash called back towards his mother as he jogged off the porch and into the heavy rain.

Back at the house, Delia was on the floor refolding the fallen laundry with Mimey.

"I wonder what he'll choose. Now that I think about it, Ash hasn't said much about what he wanted for a partner." Delia looked out the window. "I hope he doesn't get sick out there. He should have worn a jacket."

Mimey shrugged, focused on the chore at hand.

Mud clung to shoes as Ash half-ran down the once dirt road towards the large windmill silhouetted in the distance. Luckily for him, he opted for the waterproof pack for his travels.

Ten, miserable minutes later, the teen arrived at the Lab, soaked to the bone and shivering. As he raised his hand to knock, he remembered the rainjacket he had stored in his pack for situations _just like this._

He mentally facepalmed before rapping on the wooden doorframe which stood between him and the Lab itself. Unfortunately, the Lab door did not have an overhang to shelter Ash from the storm.

An earsplitting boom followed an intense flash of light that nearly blinded the poor kid. A couple minutes dragged on before the door finally opened, revealing a bedraggled Oak.

"Ash! Get in here! You're soaked!" The older man scolded before yanking a shaking Ash into his home.

"Sit down and let me get you a nice cup of hot tea and a blanket." Oak said a bit shakily, which Ash didn't fail to notice, before disappearing down the hall, returning a few moments later with a large blanket and a towel.

"Here, sit down. Now why were you out in the rain without anything warm on? You have a half-hour before you would have to be here. I know you're excited, but you need to be more careful. Hypothermia is no joke." Oak paused, letting his words sink in. "Speaking of, let me get you that tea. Arceus knows you could use it."

Before Ash could say anything, Oak moved out of the lab and into the adjacent living quarters. Ash heard Oak muttering to himself as he moved about the kitchen, making strange noises as he did so.

After a few minutes of listening to pots banging and the occasional muttered 'Shit!' after each bang, he made an appearance with the promised cup of tea, which he handed to Ash. He sipped the drink, finding relief as warmth spread throughout his body. The shivers soon stopped and Ash looked up to the Professor.

"Thank you, sir. That helped a lot." Ash said.

"You're welcome m'boy. Just don't go marching out into the rain without at least something to protect you next time. I'm happy to help, but not everyone will be."

Ash nodded. That made sense to him. Not everyone was as helpful or kind as Professor Oak was.

"Professor?" Ash inquired, "Are you okay?"

The man looked confused for a moment before he spoke.

"Oh, it's not much. I forgot to feed Dragonite again. You know how he gets when he gets hungry."

Ash nodded, all too familiar with the dragon's terrifying temper, even though he personally had never experienced it.

"Well," Oak continued, "as long as you're here, you may as well get a few things. Not your starter, of course, but I can at least give you your Pokedex and you can play around with it while you wait."

Ash nodded again, not feeling up to talking. So far, this day hadn't been going as great as he had first expected it to be. In his mind, the day was going to be cliché-sunny with the pidgey chirping and a smile on his face from a fantastic dream he would have just had. Then, he would go downstairs after getting ready for the day, be surprised with a special breakfast just for him, and he would walk to Oak's lab and soak in the good weather. He would get his charmander, and he would walk out of town proudly with his buddy by his side. Ash even went so far as to include destroying Gary in his first pokemon battle ever.

Ash pulled himself back into the real world and instantly regretted it. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Sure, part of it was his fault for walking out into the rain with nothing to keep him dry, but the weather was supposed to be perfect, like out of a storybook. If this was how his journey was going to be, Ash was quite unsure about it.

At least it wasn't the worst it could be. He would be getting his Pokedex before Gary or any of the others would, which he counted as a personal victory, however small.

Ash looked up to see the old man approach him with a thin, red, rectangular object in his hand. The professor was beaming.

"This here is the Pokedex, now fully updated." Oak's smile widened even more.

"I finished it just last night as a matter of fact. I had it done sooner, but I wanted it to be perfect for you four so you could begin your journeys right." Oak handed the device to Ash, who turned it over in his hands, admiring the shininess of it.

Oak cleared his throat. "There's a few things to mess around with. It's not much, but your Pokedex will be a bit more personalized than they used to be. Oh, and I forgot to mention, th-."

The door opened abruptly and quite loudly, cutting off the professor. Both Ash and Professor Oak watched as a boy about Ash's age walked in, collapsing his umbrella as he did so.

"So, Ashy-boy, how was the rain? A bit wet? Hey! What do you have there?" A slightly nasal voice called out.

"Oh! Gary! You're a little early, but not enough to worry about. How are you? It's cold out there." Oak questioned the young man, who sported a purple, long-sleeved shirt and jeans.

"I'm fine grandpa. I'm not that cold; I had my umbrella." Gary's eyes slid over to Ash, who was still shivering a bit, however much he tried to suppress it.

"You look a little cold. Did you forget to bring an umbrella, Ashy-boy? Your lips are a bit blue, there. Did decide to take a dip in the ocean?" Gary mocked.

Oak frowned. "Enough with the snide remarks, Gary. He was just excited, that's all. Right, Ash?" Oak directed the question at Ash.

"Mm-hm." He shrugged.

"Anyways," Oak turned to Gary, "how long until Richard and Emily arrive?"

Gary looked out the window. "I don't think they are too far behind me, Gramps. The weather's letting up so there's no excuse if they're late. Anyways, you didn't answer my question. What does Ash have in his hands?"

Ash frowned. He disliked Gary. He always thought of him as presumptuous and judgmental, and he was one of the few who saw that through his bright smile and popularity within the small community. He never did understand how he got so popular with his callous personality.

"You'll see in a bit. Ah! Here they are now!" Oak announced as a small knock was heard on the Lab door.

He ushered the pair of teens in and closed the door behind them. "Now that we have everyone here, we can get started." The professor turned and walked into the depths of the laboratory, Gary following close behind. The other three stood there for a moment before following soon after. Emily cleared her throat.

"Umm, Ash…" she trailed off, blushing and looking away at the many devices littering the Lab. Luckily for her, Richard cut in.

"Why are you so wet? Did you walk here in the rain or something?" Ash only nodded. He liked Emily and Richard somewhat. They were two of the few people who didn't treat him like shit and didn't follow Gary wherever he went like obedient growlithe. Emily had jet-black hair, a shade darker than Ash's own, and deep green eyes. Contrary to her timid attitude, she wore bright colors and tended to keep her hair in a large ponyta-tail. Her lime green t-shirt and her above-the-knee jorts were always clean and were a staple of her everyday wear.

Richard wore a hoodie nearly every day, just like Ash. Aside from that, the two were complete opposites. With his hoodie, Richard wore dark tan cargo shorts that were frayed on the edges so badly, it looked like he had ripped them on purpose. He had blonde hair and light blue eyes, which contrasted his darker clothing.

Richard and Emily were both quiet and meek, except around each other. When alone, they were as outgoing and boisterous as Gary was when he was surrounded by his ever-so-devoted followers. Ash had stumbled upon them once or twice during these times and he had enjoyed the laughter that the two had constantly given out.

Richard spoke up, "Are you okay? I know you don't talk a whole lot, but you seem more down in the dumps than usual."

Emily discreetly elbowed Richard in the gut and smiled at Ash warmly.

"Don't mind him. He just needs to learn when to say something and when to shut up." She directed the last part at Richard, who nodded hurriedly.

"It's alright. I already know I'm not the social type. It's fine." Ash said, gripping his Pokedex a bit tighter.

Emily frowned. " _We_ don't think you're that antisocial, probably because we both are, too. Right, Rich?"

Richard nodded again, gingerly rubbing his stomach.

The trio had reached the end of the building, where both Oaks were standing, one with his face pressed against the glass of a container, which held three pokeballs within.

"Alright, _now_ we can get started. First," the professor turned to a desk and retrieved three Pokedexes from a drawer. "these are your PokeDexes. When you scan a pokemon with this device, you can obtain some basic information about that particular pokemon and its species."

He handed the devices to Gary, Richard, and Emily, who all began to look through the 'dexes, only to find it devoid of any pokemon entries.

"Umm, sir. There's nothing on here about any pokemon. What are we supposed to do with this?" Richard inquired.

"Yeah, Grandpa, what's up with that?"

Oak only chuckled. "Well, here's something I'm going to need a little bit of help with. I am currently working on a project that is very important to me. You see, the Pokedex is special because it is going to be the first complete encyclopedia on pokemon ever made. Most of these encyclopedias that have been made are only for a certain region, and none of them are electronic, either.

He could see he had the teens' interest.

"However, it is obviously not complete, and I need some help getting information about the different species. This is where you all come in." All four teens leaned in, including Gary, who had lost interest in the stationary pokeballs.

"I need you to encounter as many pokemon as you can, and for you to scan them, to collect data."

Gary just made a raspberry. "Sounds easy enough. I could get twenty done before the day is over no problem." He grinned. "This'll be over before you know it."

The professor shook his head. "There is more to it than that. We don't know every species of pokemon that exists. There are more and more being discovered each year, and I would like information on these pokemon to be documented and put into this." He tapped Ash's 'dex.

"Not every pokemon you scan will have information, either. I have not programmed a whole lot into the database, so you may encounter a pokemon that does not have any information on it whatsoever. That's why I'll be working on the 'dex while you travel. If there is no information on a pokemon, I would like you to take a photo of the pokemon. This way, I can look to see what it is and I can eventually program data into the database if there is information available elsewhere." Oak took a deep breath.

"Now. If there are no more questions, it is time to choose our partners."

If the Pokedex held their attention, it was nothing compared to how focused the quartet was now.

"I already know what I'm going to choose! Grandpa, you should let me pick first!" Gary had his face pressed against the glass again, which muffled his voice a bit.

The old man shook his head. "Unfortunately, there are no more than three starters, so one of you will have to wait to get one."

Ash unconsciously shook his head slightly. He had been waiting too long for this.

"So, who will it be?" He arched an eyebrow.

Nobody moved. Everybody was looking away from the professor except for Gary, who decided that the question was not meant for him and kept his face to the glass.

A couple minutes passed before Ash slowly raised his hand. "I will."

Oak and Gary both grinned before the elder Oak spoke.

"Thank you, Ash. I'll make sure you are rewarded for your patience." He beamed at Ash, who was trying his hardest not to look too disappointed.

Richard and Emily both looked at him, gratitude shining in their eyes and a small smile on each of their faces. Ash only nodded at them and took a step back, looking down.

"Now that that business is over, you can each pick a starter. Gary! Get off the glass!" Oak said. Gary only took a step back, his eyes glued to a particular pokeball, unfazed by his grandfather.

The glass raised a foot or two, exposing the three pokeballs.

"The pokeball to your left contains bulbasaur, your middle, charmander, and your right, squirtle. Choose wisely, now. This pokemon will be your partner for life."

"Richard, you may pick first."

Richard grinned as Gary scowled. Richard had noticed Gary's focus on the ball to the right, so he hung his hand over it, smirking as he watched Gary twitch with suppressed anger. He laughed before moving over to another pokeball.

"Pokeball, go!" He shouted, tossing the sphere into the air. It popped open, and a red energy coalesced into a stout, green reptile with a large bulb on its back. It stood on four legs and had darker patches of skin that decorated its entire body.

"Bulba!" The creature said before locking red eyes with Richard, who nodded. He recalled the bulbasaur before turning to the Pokemon Professor.

"Thank you. I'll get to know it better later." He said with a grin.

Gary was bouncing on his heels and fiddling with his fingers as Emily calmly observed the remaining two pokeballs. At this point, Ash had begun to think about how long he would have to wait to get his starter, if he would get one at all. He shook his head. Of course he would get one. It would just take a while, that's all.

He looked up to see the professor tentatively nod his head as Gary threw himself at the pokeball farthest to the right. In his excitement he tossed the pokeball high enough to smack the ceiling, which was easily fifteen feet above their heads. This time, however, the red energy morphed into the shape of a squirtle, its shell gleaming.

The pokemon looked around cockily, its stubby arms folded and its mouth turned upwards in an all-too-familiar smirk. Within moments it saw Gary, who also had his arms crossed. Pokemon and human judged the other before nodding in satisfaction.

"It's good, Grandpa. Me and Squirtle are going to kick some ass later on!" Gary smirked as he recalled the water-type.

Oak's visage darkened before he turned to Emily, his face brightening again.

"I know 'Ladies first' is an important rule to live by, but I'm sure you can understand why I didn't do it this time. It's not necessarily fair, either." Oak smiled brightly at the girl, who smiled back a bit shyly.

"No problem. I got who I wanted, and I don't mind being last every once in a while. It mixes things up a bit."

She slowly walked up to the container and grabbed the final pokeball. After a brief moment of hesitation, she took the orb and gently tossed it up.

"Come on out, Charmander."

A small, orange reptile appeared, its eyes a little unfocused. It was bipedal and had a flame on the tip of its tail. Ash looked on in jealousy, though he didn't show it. That was his charmander, his friend, his companion. The pokemon looked around and Ash forced down his scowl before anyone could see it. He gave it a lopsided smile before it was recalled into its pokeball.

"Alright. Now that you have your pokemon, you can each start your journey. If it interests you, there is a Pokemon League Tournament every year in which the strongest of the strong compete to see who is the toughest trainer of them all. If you wish to join, you must sign up at a Pokemon Center with a Nurse Joy. I would recommend doing it as soon as you can if you choose to go that way. Other than that, I have nothing else to tell you. Make sure you stop by to see your parents, Emily and Richard. I believe they would like to see you before you go off."

The two nodded and gave their thanks again to both Professor Oak and Ash, Emily with yet another blush, before leaving the Lab.

Gary soon followed after, pokeball in hand and practically jumping down the stairs outside. The weather had somehow become pleasant, the only sign a storm had occurred were the large puddles decorating the roads. A large cloud could be seen moving south towards the ocean, an occasional thunderbolt contrasting the darkness beneath the nimbus.

Professor Oak sighed, running a hand through his graying hair. "Giving out the starters is exhausting, I think." He turned to Ash. "Are you dry yet?"

Ash looked down only to see that, apart from his hair, he was bone dry. He hadn't even noticed he was so distracted.

"Huh. I guess." Ash said, toweling off his hair.

Oak curtly nodded, satisfied.

"I presume you want your starter soon, correct?" he said, moving towards a small hallway off to the side.

Ash nodded with vigor, following him.

"I may not have any traditional starters on hand, but I do have a few pokemon you could select from. I'll have to warn you, though. They are a bit harder to handle than those I gave to the others, but I think you can handle it. You do seem to have a bit of a knack for pokemon." the professor said. "I mean, you did calm down Dragonite that one time the tauros herd decided to stampede right into his cave, and then you managed to calm down the herd as well. I think you'll be able to handle one of these. It's not like I'm going to hand you a hydreigon or something right off the bat."

Ash only nodded again, eager to meet the pokemon he would choose from. The pair stopped at the end of the hallway, where a simple, wooden door stood, blocking the way. A cheap, brass plaque on the door read 'Janitor's Closet'. The professor produced a silver card from his lab coat. He swiped the card through a slot near the door which Ash had not noticed before.

Ash heard a faint ding before the door swung inwards, revealing a small room that was not much bigger than an average bedroom. On the steel walls hung shelves that held pokeballs of many different colors. Boxes littered the floor in an oddly organized way, creating a path around the room for access.

Oak chuckled embarrassedly. "Oops, I keep on forgetting to clear out this space. I use it quite a bit, but I can't find anywhere else to put stuff. I should get an assistant..." the older man trailed off.

He continued to gripe to himself while Ash carefully wove his way through the room. Many, many pokeballs were here, and Ash wondered what they all contained. He reached up to grab an ultra ball from a shelf that was slightly separate from the rest, perched on the far side of the windowless room directly in the center of the wall. He took a moment to admire the way the dim light played off the shiny surface. It appeared to be well taken care of, albeit faded.

"Oh, Ash! Be careful with that! I know pokeballs are pretty tough, but that one has been around for much longer than you have, and it's also a much older make as well."

Ash startled, nearly dropping the 'ball before replacing it back to its rightful place.

"Professor, why are these pokeballs in here? Don't pokemon need to be out of their 'balls more?" Ash inquired. With the professor's terrible memory, pokemon could easily be forgotten in here.

The professor looked at him strangely. "Now why would I leave pokemon in here to rot? No, no, m'boy! None of these pokeballs actually contain pokemon. I just keep them in here for safekeeping. Most of the 'balls in here are for the pokemon that trainers have here. I feel better when I know that people can't find these and kidnap the pokemon that have bonded with their trainers. Many of the pokemon in the Ranch are wild, but the ones that have been captured are taken extra care of. There is a protection system for the wild ones, but I do need to work on it. Wild pokemon don't give off the same energy as caught ones do. The system can tell if a pokemon is caught or not, and it keeps those that have been caught out." The man seemed pleased with himself.

"But Professor, what if someone sent their pokemon here and they couldn't get in because of your system?"

"Well, for starters, when you capture a pokemon, it is logged into the Lab's pokemon database, which the system recognizes. If you caught a pidgey and sent it here, for instance, the system would notice that that particular pidgey was yours and would admit it. The only problem is uncaptured pokemon that are still a registered trainer's. But enough of that. We didn't come here to discuss how I keep the pokemon safe. We need to get you your starter." He said. He raised his hand to his chin in thought, eyeing the pokeballs within the room with a discerning eye. He moved about the room, occasionally picking up a pokeball, which he would appear to ponder over before sticking it in his pocket or returning it to its place.

After five minutes of this, he stopped and gestured to Ash to follow. They moved out of the room and Ash could hear another beep as the door closed. They continued out the back door of the Lab, which led to the Oak Ranch itself. Ash saw many, many pokemon doing various things throughout the vast space. A pair of poochyena were messing around in the dirt, trying to gain an edge on the other in their games. A lone ponyta ran across the large grassland area. The forest's tree line was about a half-mile in, casting shadows on the ground where Ash knew many pokemon lurked and crawled.

"There are five pokemon I would like you to meet, Ash. They are all a bit reclusive, but they should at least be willing to meet you. I'll take the jeep and you can stick around while I get you your mystery pokemon." Oak was grinning stupidly, which made Ash grin, too. It was contagious.

In a minute, the vehicle was a small speck on its way to the expansive forest. Ash sighed. He really wanted to go to bed. He woke up way too early, and he was having doubts about his journey altogether. Not too long passed before a small whimper brought to his attention a growlithe pup sitting at his feet, looking up at him expectantly. Its tongue was lolled out drool dripped from its mourth

Ash pulled out his pockets. "Sorry, I don't have any food."

The growlithe continued to whimper at him. It pawed at his pant leg and gave him the saddest eyes it could muster.

"Go on now. I don't have anything. Shoo!" Ash waved his hands in the regular shooing motion and the pup got the hint, turning tail and running off to play with the wrestling poochyena.

Soon, Ash's feet and legs began to tire and he searched around for a bench or something to sit on. Finding nothing, he sat down cross-legged on the ground. It only took a moment for him to realize that the ground was still wet and muddy. With a yelp, he stood up, futilely attempting to brush the mud off his jeans. He managed to get most of it off, but the seat of his pants was still soaking wet, and his hands were filthy, too. He groaned. What a crappy beginning to a great day.

An hour passed, and the Professor was nowhere to be seen. Ash had given up and sat in the mud, not caring about the wet anymore. By now all he wanted was his starter so he could go home and change his pants and maybe take another shower. Many pokemon had approached him, most of them wanting food and attention. He had no food to give, but he did give them as much attention as he could. Even though he was not quite as happy as he wanted to be, he wouldn't feel right if he ignored the pokemon just because he felt like it.

Ash heard the jeep approach as he was tending to a poliwag, who was sitting in his lap, gurgling contentedly.

"Ash, what are you doing in the mud? Delia won't be too happy when she sees you." Oak said as he exited the cart. Ash only grimaced a little.

"Well, I managed to find all five pokemon and I got them to leave their homes for a bit to meet you. All of them are ready for someone to take them and care for them, so don't be afraid to choose whoever you want. Oh, and as I told you before, these pokemon are not very common, especially since four of them aren't even from Kanto."

Ash's eyes brightened at this. Gary could eat shit, he was going to get a pokemon most people from these parts would be lucky to see.

The Pokemon Professor produced the five 'balls from his pocket, each of them the standard red and white.

He tossed the first one in the air, revealing what appeared to be six eggs all clumped together, one of them broken and revealing the yolk. The eggs were all pink and had faces besides the broken one. Ash recognized it as an exeggcute. They weren't extremely common but they weren't quite rare either.

Ash took this opportunity to scan it with his PokeDex. A computerized, masculine voice began to speak.

 **Exeggcute, the Egg Pokemon.**

 **This pokemon consists of six eggs that form a closely knit cluster. The six eggs attract each other and spin around. When cracks increasingly appear on the eggs, exeggcute is close to evolution. This pokemon evolves with a leaf stone.**

Ash took a look at the cluster, and noticed that only a few cracks decorated the shells of the pokemon. The 'Dex continued to read off information.

 **This pokemon is male and has the ability Chlorophyll.**

Ash looked at the pokemon again, a bit confused on how they had one gender, but he shrugged it off.

He nodded at the professor, who tossed another pokeball into the air. This time, a short, purple creature appeared. It was clearly a bug-type. It also had black markings and large yellow eyes. Ash had never seen one before. The PokeDex, he thought, would be very handy in his travels.

 **Venipede, the Centipede Pokemon.**

 **It discovers what is going on around it by using the feelers on its head and tail. It is brutally aggressive.**

 **This pokemon is female and has the ability Swarm.**

Ash cringed when the device read off the words 'brutally aggressive.' He took a quick look at the venipede, surprised to see her just sitting there, eyeing him. Ash shuddered a bit before Oak released the next pokemon.

This pokemon was another Ash had never seen before, although it looked familiar. It was stout and tan with green spots. It had stub legs and no arms. It appeared to be frowning.

 **Shroomish, the Mushroom Pokemon.**

 **Shroomish live in damp soil in the dark depths of the forests. They are often found keeping still under fallen leaves. This pokemon feeds on compost that is made up of fallen, rotted leaves.**

 **This pokemon is female and has the ability Effect Spore.**

Venipede seemed to regard the shroomish with strange interest. Shroomish seemed to be dozing off. She was probably woken up by the man.

The fourth pokeball was soon in the air, and a small, canine pokemon appeared. It had a half-skull growth on its forehead, and other bone-like growths on its back and ankles. It also sported a red underbelly. Ash knew it was a houndour from his short forays into the Johto region with Professor Oak.

 **Houndour, the Dark Pokemon.**

 **Houndour hunt as a coordinated pack. They communicate with each other using a variety of cries to corner their prey. This pokemon's remarkable teamwork is unparalleled.**

 **This pokemon is male and has the ability Flash Fire.**

The other pokemon each shied away from the fire-type, who was giving dark looks to each of them.

"Hey. Don't be mean. They didn't do anything to you." Ash said to the houndour, remembering to keep his voice calm and soft. It wouldn't do to get attacked before he even started his journey

He flinched a bit when the houndour turned its gaze onto Ash. It glared at him for a bit before its gaze softened ever so slightly. Ash barely noticed. The 'mon promptly sat down on a dry patch of earth and began to groom himself.

Oak cocked an eyebrow before tossing up the final pokeball.

A small, bipedal pokemon appeared. It was black and blue and had long claws that extended from its short paws, which appeared shovel-like in nature. It had a long, white snout with a red nose at the end. Ash raised his 'Dex before it began to scan.

 **Drilbur, the Mole Pokemon.**

 **It makes its way swiftly through the soil by putting both claws together and rotating at high speeds.**

 **This pokemon is female and has the ability Sand Force.**

Ash sat back, looking at his options. They all seemed to be well-behaved for the most part. Even the houndour appeared to be quite tame in comparison to the horror stories he had heard about the species.

"Professor, the 'Dex says that houndour is a pack species. Didn't you say that these pokemon were loners?" Ash said. He looked at houndour, who looked right back at him.

"Uh, yes, they are. Most houndour are pack members, but this one isn't for some reason. It may explain why it tends to push away others. Maybe it was kicked out of its pack." He shrugged. "I couldn't tell you for sure."

He looked at the group of five again. Each pokemon seemed to be strong for what they were. Venipede, drilbur, and shroomish were all new pokemon species to him, and he didn't know much about them besides their abilities. Luckily, the Pokemon Professor had logged in the information for these pokemon and their evolutions or he would have been s.o.l.

He browsed through the data, still sitting in the mud, while the pokemon and professor all waited for him patiently.

After five minutes of browsing through the dex, the teen set the 'Dex on his lap. The pokemon all leaned forward, interest showing each of their eyes.

Ash cleared his throat, "I know you all want to go, but I can only choose one of you. I looked to see what you could do and I have decided on who I want to bring with me."

The pokemon leaned forward even more, Shroomish nearly falling over.

"I choose-"

 **I know, I'm an asshole. You can deal with it. I don't know if anybody will check out this story, but if you are that random person who looks at crap stories, sorry. You'll find out soon enough. I don't even think** _ **I've**_ **chosen who I want to go with Ash. :/**

 **As of now this is just an idea, and I will probably end up revising chaps as I go on.**

 **Also, I may miss important stuff, so don't freak out if I miss something important.**

 **I apologize if you wanted him to get something like a riolu or some other thing like that, but this story is meant to explore pokemon that nobody wants to write about.**

 **(Poor exeggcute ;_;)**

 **Other than that I don't have much to say besides review, review, review. It is oh so important that you do this.**

 **I will see you in the next installment of "Only Human"!**

 **Buh-bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **A.N. Hello once again to "Only Human"! I was a bit surprised at how many hits I got within the first day of posting this, so I naturally decided to add another chapter. Yay!**

 **Overall, I am planning on taking this story all the way through every region until Alola, even though another game will most likely be made by the time I get to that point. ^_^**

 **Other than that, I don't have much to say besides this: No OC's until at least Johto!**

 **I have gotten a request for one already and I appreciated it greatly, but I would like to develop Ash's character first and I am terrible at multitasking, so if you do want one, it will have to wait. Sorry!**

 **Okay, that's over with! Now you can get comfortable, because Chapter Two is right here!**

"I choose…" Ash trailed off. He could see the anticipation in their eyes, and it hurt. He didn't know what any of them could have gone through and he especially didn't want to be the one to disappoint them. He knew he was probably over-analyzing the situation, but he couldn't help it. They all looked so desperate.

Ash knew he had to make a choice. He could see the excitement fading from the five in front of him. A strange tug he couldn't describe pulled him towards the purple bug-type; like an itch he needed to scratch. He acted on it, hoping he made the right choice.

"Alright, Venipede. You're coming with me." Ash smiled brightly at the venipede, who proceeded to tackle him with surprising speed. Ash jumped a bit, remembering reading about the aggressiveness and poison barbs venipede possessed. He was caught off guard a bit when she suddenly began to nuzzle him.

A strange feeling of wholeness pervaded him, similar to the tug he had felt, but it was more… completing.

He glanced up to see the remaining four all suddenly take great interest in the sky. He felt terrible, but he knew that they all understood. It still took a great deal of effort to not rush over to them and give them all a big hug, however. Houndour looked like he was about to cry.

Ash began to speak before the canine turned and walked away, head held high.

If he hadn't felt bad before, this broke his heart. The remaining three gave him a similar look before retreating back to the forest.

Venipede had rubbed against him, which brought him back to reality. She gave him a contented look before crawling off his lap to inspect his backpack.

Ash turned to the professor, who was observing the interaction.

"Well, Ash. Are you happy with your partner?" the professor said.

His backpack shifted a bit and Ash smiled.

"Of course, Professor. Thank you for letting me bring such a rare pokemon with me."

Oak only nodded before bringing out Venipede's 'ball. He handed it to the teen, who took it quickly with nothing short of awe. This would be the pokeball that would house his first ever pokemon, and it really got his blood pumping.

By now, Venipede had managed to climb on top of Ash's pack and partly onto his shoulder. She made a chirring noise that made Ash giggle like a little kid. He found it to be absolutely adorable.

The Pokemon Professor took in the sight. It always warmed his heart to see a trainer bonding with his pokemon, especially so soon. He had no doubts that these two would get along famously.

Ash was gently rubbing his starter's head when the professor spoke.

"You know, I think that you two are going to be great some day. It could be months, years, or decades from now, but I believe that you, Ash, are one-of-a-kind. You may have yet to learn about the technicalities of battling, but a large part of being successful is having a strong bond with your allies and friends, namely your pokemon." Oak nodded, as if to confirm his own statement.

"Really?" Ash said, looking at him.

"Of course! Most people nowadays don't treat their pokemon as companions and partners, but tools, or in the worst cases, slaves. It's rare, but it happens." Oak stated.

"But you seem to be a bit different than that, Ash. I know that just because of this, you will go far."

Ash's smile only widened.

"Really?" He asked.

"Of course. However, the moment you get a big head, it all goes out the window. So never think of yourself as better than what you really are." Oak stated. "And you must always remember that you are not the only reason for your success."

Ash's smile faltered a bit before brightening again.

"I will, Professor!"

"Good. Now off you go. You have the world ahead of you, go have fun!"

The man hadn't even finished his sentence before the young man was off, practically running at the Lab door. The professor laughed, shaking his head and making his way towards his Lab.

Ash slowed down to a walk when he reached the bottom of the large set of stairs leading to the Lab. He rubbed the small bite mark on his neck. Venipede was not one for running, he supposed.

The mud, Ash noticed, had mostly dried up. Even the mud on the ground.

 _Not even five minutes in and you already need a change. Good job, Ash. Mom'll be proud._

Ash stopped. _Damn._

Delia gasped. There was mud all over her son's jeans and shoes, and it had made it into her newly-cleaned house. He only grinned sheepishly at her as she pointed upstairs, glaring. Only when Ash passed his mother did she notice the purple creature perched on his shoulder.

"Ash! Where did you get a venipede?"

Ash looked at her. "Professor Oak gave her to me as a starter. See? Here's her pokeball."

The teen pulled the sphere out of his pocket and gave it to her. She held it in her hands, almost reverently. Her lower lip began to quiver and tears soon followed. Ash and Venipede were both startled at the sudden outburst that followed.

Moments after it began, the crying stopped, replaced by the occasional sniffle. Delia smiled sadly at her son.

"It looks like my baby boy is all grown up now." She said, a stray tear spilling over her cheek.

Ash smiled and gave her a quick hug.

"It's alright, Mom. But did you really have to cry? It's not like I'm leaving you forever or something."

Delia wiped her eyes. "I know that. It's just- I'm so proud of you, you know. There has never been a moment in my life when I regretted having you." Delia gave a short bark of laughter. "Okay, maybe when you were just born and woke me up every half-hour at night with your crying, but that was nothing against you, I was just tired, and changing dirty diapers at two in the morning was not what I had in mind…"

Laughter erupted from Ash, and Delia quickly joined him. Venipede chittered.

After a few minutes of almost painful laughter, it died down, leaving the pair breathless.

Delia let out a deep huff. "I haven't laughed like that in a long time."

Ash nodded. "Me either."

Venipede decided it was time that she got some attention. So, she let out another chirr, grabbing Delia's attention.

"Oh, I forgot about you. Come here, I want to see you." Delia beckoned, holding out her arms.

Venipede all but jumped into the woman's arms, chirring once again.

Delia doted over the bug-type, stroking her head while talking to her before she cut herself off and looked at Ash.

"Shower, Ash." She said, handing him Venipede's 'ball.

Ash stopped staring at the interaction and made a mad dash for the stairs, pokeball in hand. Delia smirked before bringing Venipede into the kitchen. She set the pokemon on the table before going to the fridge and bringing out some leftover tauros steak. The purple bug-type pointedly stared at the plate with large eyes. Delia giggled.

"You can have some, if you want."

Venipede only continued to stare.

Assuming Venipede's answer, she set the plate down on the table and turned to grab another plate. When she turned around, she was treated to an amusing sight. Venipede's head had disappeared, buried into the pile of meat. This was Ash's pokemon alright.

Delia allowed Venipede to eat, observing her as she ate. Not too long passed before Venipede backed away from the plate, seemingly content.

"Did you enjoy your meal?"

Venipede gave a short nod in return, along with a look of what Delia could only assume to be gratitude.

"Good." Delia stated. "But first, I need to ask you something."

Seeing no response, Delia continued.

"I need to know that you'll protect Ash to the best of your ability; and that you'll never abandon him. He is a good kid, but he is not good with most people, and I don't think he could handle it if you left him. You may have just met him, but you are important to him. I can see it in his eyes. In turn, I don't believe he'll ever abandon you. He isn't like that."

Venipede had been listening with rapt attention. Delia continued.

"I am sure that, if the time comes and you are in danger, he will do whatever to make sure that you are safe. He can be stubborn and rude at times, but he is loyal to his friends. So, I ask you again: Will you take care of Ash for me? I'm sorry if it seems sudden, but this is what I ask of you."

Delia sat back in her chair, finished with her small speech.

Venipede seemed contemplative now, her eyes showing great amounts of thought. After a minute, she nodded, although this time, much more vigorously.

Delia smiled her truest smile. "Thank you. You have no idea how much easier you made my life."

Venipede looked away shyly just before Ash came into the kitchen, wearing clean clothes and a smile on his face.

"Well, Mom, I think it is time to start heading towards Viridian. I want to get as far as possible before dark." Ash said as he picked up Venipede, placing her in her respective spot.

"Of course. I think you should get most of the way there before dark, but don't worry too much about it." Delia spoke, placing a hand on Ash's free shoulder.

Ash embraced his mother once more before slipping on his pack - carefully moving it around Venipede - and heading out the door, confidence brimming for the first time in ages.

"Good luck, Ash." Delia said, more to herself than her son, who was out of earshot.

"Mime!" Mimey confirmed.

Ash strutted confidently down the dirt path towards the entrance to Route 1, where untold adventures awaited him and his starter.

Soon enough, Ash found himself staring at the sign. 'Route 1' was clearly inscribed on the dilapidated, wooden signpost. It was strange. He had gone outside of Pallet many times before, even on his own. But this time was different. This time, he wouldn't be coming back for quite a while. Ash took a steadying breath before crossing the imaginary threshold into the Route, eyes wide open. A warm wind blew over the field, which Ash found to be comforting.

He began to walk on the dirt path looking around at the trees ahead and the large field surrounding him. Venipede looked around, too.

Now that he had passed the sign, a strange mixture of elation, nervousness, and a feeling of freedom smacked him upside the head. It was nerve-wracking.

Ash startled when something burst from the lush leaves of a nearby tree and into the azure sky. He mentally smacked himself for being so jumpy. The other three were probably almost to Viridian by now and he was afraid of a pidgey!

He steeled himself and voyaged further down the path, farther away from life as he knew it and into the great beyond.

After an hour of walking, Ash had begun to despise the concept of walking. He had decided long ago that he was going to enter the Pokemon League Tournament, and badges thusly became a necessity.

He would need a flying pokemon or something. Soon.

Ash had tied his sweatshirt around his waist by this point, and was sweating profusely. Maybe conditioning would have been a good idea before volunteering to journey across the entire region.

"Okay, Venipede. It is time for a break. I'm bushed."

Venipede chittered at him as he set her down. They had reached the forest, and much-needed shade.

Ash sat down at the base of a nearby tree, enjoying the feel of the cool bark against his back. He rummaged through his pack for his water bottle. He produced it with a flourish and greedily downed the cool liquid before giving Venipede some. She needed it as badly as he did if the way she nearly tore the bottle out of his hands indicated.

"Damn, this heat is horrible. No wonder we haven't seen any pokemon. They're all getting away from the heat."

Venipede chittered in agreement.

The sound of flapping reached Ash's ears as he took another drink. It sounded different than a pidgey or a spearow's flapping. It was slower, more deliberate. Possibly a fearow? Hopefully not. They had a tendency to attack trainers along with a hundred spearow at their side.

A moaning bellow resounded throughout the woods as an orange blur darted across the sky. It was quite fast, and large, Ash noted. He pressed himself against the tree, grabbing Venipede and his pack in the process.

 _What the hell is that? I don't think fearow are that orange. The only thing I can think of is a charizard, but why the hell-_

His thoughts were cut off by the orange creature diving down and landing directly in front of him.

 _Fuck my life._ Ash thought as the large, _draconic_ beast turned to him.

Ash nearly had a heart attack when he realized that it was a dragonite, and a monster of one, too. Battle scars decorated its entire body, and it was very muscular. Its eyes contrasted its battle-hardened body. They were soft and warm.

It took a moment, but realization dawned on the teen. _This is Professor Oak's dragonite._

Dragonite gave a croon in hello and waved. Ash smiled at the gesture.

"Hey, Dragonite. What are you doing out here?"

The dragon only warbled in response, holding out a bundle of leaves that Ash hadn't seen earlier.

Ash was confused. "What's up with the leaves? Why would you need them?"

Dragonite shook his great head, holding out the bundle again, motioning for Ash to take it.

Ash reached for the small pile, looking to Dragonite for approval. The dragon-type nodded. Ash closed his hands around it… and felt something hard.

He retracted his arms and unwrapped the object. Within the pile was what appeared to be a jagged rock. It was a dull grey, and it was a bit sharp around the edges. Ash turned it over in his hands. He didn't bother asking what it was; Dragonite couldn't tell him.

"Er, thank you, Dragonite. This was really nice of you." Ash said with a forced smile.

The large dragon gave a low rumble in response, ruffling Ash's hair with a paw before taking off.

"Wonder what that was all about, huh Ven-?" Ash looked around him and didn't see the 'mon anywhere.

"Uh, Venipede, where'd you go? Come on, we need to go." Ash looked around as he called out for her. He found her cowering behind a tree, half-buried in a pile of sticks and leaves.

Ash sighed. "There you are. I was looking all over for you. You're tricky to find, you know." Ash said while giving a chuckle. He picked the trembling bug-type up from beneath the sticks.

"Hey, hey. What's the matter? Are you okay?" He asked, holding the still-shaking pokemon in his arms.

He nearly dropped his starter when a sharp barb nearly impaled his arm. "Woah!"

He placed Venipede on the ground. _That was close. I don't think I have any pecha berries either._ He grimaced. Venipede poison did not sound like something he wanted in his system.

Bracing himself, he crouched down by Venipede, who had more barbs sticking out of her now.

"Venipede," Ash said in as calming a voice he could make. "What's wrong? Did something try to hurt you?"

Ash looked around nervously before looking back at Venipede.

Ash replayed the event in his head. Dragonite flying around, landing, giving him the rock. Then Venipede disappeared.

Ash put two and two together quite quickly.

"Are you scared of Dragonite, Venipede?" Ash asked in a soothing voice.

His starter only gave a quick nod, not daring to look up. A few of her barbs had begun to drip poison.

"It's alright, girl. He wouldn't hurt you. He doesn't eat venipede, I don't think. Just put away your barbs before I poke myself or something." Ash joked, trying to ease her tension.

Venipede hurriedly did so as best she could. It would not do if she hurt the person she swore to protect not two hours ago. That terrifying monster was another story, though. If Ash had survived an encounter with that thing, maybe it could be reasoned with.

Realization kicked in once again for the poor bug-type. She had failed to defend Ash. She left him for dragon food while she ran away to protect herself. What good was a promise if she couldn't even bother to think about it until it was too late?

Venipede jumped a bit when Ash picked her up, but relaxed when he began to stroke her head. She gave a guilty chirr before climbing up to her spot on his shoulder, settling herself down.

"Alright, now that that's over, I think we should keep on moving, unless you want to stay here a bit longer. I don't mind either way."

Venipede shook her head and gave a low chitter.

The pair made their way back to the path and moved north, towards the large city of Viridian.

A dull throbbing in his calves had begun a couple hours ago. He was sure he had walked a few miles by now. The worst part of it all was the fact that he hadn't seen many pokemon, or trainers for that matter. He saw a couple pidgey fly by overhead, but that was about it. He also expected to encounter at least a couple trainers by now. He began to ponder over it. He had wanted to at least get one pokemon before he hit Viridian. What if he met Gary, or Emily and Richard. They probably all had a few pokemon by now.

He gritted his teeth. Getting shown up by Gary on his first day would be awful.

He thought about it a bit longer before coming to a perfectly plausible idea.

 _Duh, the pokemon avoid the main path because that's where all the trainers are._

He nearly smacked himself. It was pretty obvious now that he thought about it. Most pokemon probably wouldn't want to be caught by a kid with no experience anyways, so they most likely spent their time deeper in the woods where only the braver kids went.

Seeing no other options besides hoping to chance upon one, Ash set off into the woods, making sure to remember where he had come from.

Venipede gave a worried chitter. The trees did allow some sunlight to shine through, but they were a little ominous to the small pokemon.

When she chittered, Ash gave her a comforting head tilt before walking deeper into the trees. Now that he was in a little ways, he noticed the number of pokemon drastically increase. Caterpie and pidgey were numerous, especially in the trees. Ash noticed a few weedle and kakuna, too, but didn't go near them. An old saying went 'Kakuna on the trees and there will be bees.', and beedrill were no laughing matter. They had large stingers on their arms and tail end, which contained deadly poisons that could kill in a matter of hours.

It didn't help that the species as a whole was incredibly territorial, attacking most things within a half-mile of their nests.

A few rattata scurried around the trees as well, pausing to look at the new face before scampering off again. Ash had scanned all of these pokemon as he passed them, and made sure to check out the information on each species. He was amazed at the abilities of some of these pokemon. Even the common rattata could gnaw through a steel beam if given the time.

After a long trek through the foliage, Ash came to a large clearing easily the size of a stadium. In the dead center of the clearing was a large tree which could have rivaled the skyscrapers of Celadon City.

Ash gaped at the monstrosity along with his starter. Beedrill swarmed the tree, darting in and out of it. Large holes easily twice his height adorned the trunk, which was probably a couple hundred feet wide at its base. Ash figured the tree itself was a beedrill nest.

Venipede shifted on his shoulder, and Ash paused. He had never once heard about this particular place in his entire life. If this had been discovered before, it would have been made known by the whole world. No beedrill nest this large would have escaped notice.

The teen stood at the treeline, eyes glancing at the buzzing beedrill and stationary kakuna attached to the tree bark.

 _Maybe it_ has _been discovered before._ Ash thought.

 _Maybe whoever found it didn't live to tell someone about it._ His darker side said matter-of-factly.

Ash shuddered. It was very possible. It was improbable that this tree had escaped notice from humankind for as long as it has. Ash shifted his gaze from the active tree to the ground beneath it. Only a few weedle, crawling along.

His gaze combed the tall grass, making its way back towards him before, about halfway from him to the trunk, he noticed something white sticking out of the ground. Ash gulped. That was most certainly a bone, maybe a femur.

By this point, Venipede had begun to shift repeatedly on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I don't like it here either, girl. I think it's time to go. But before we do-" Ash said, and pulled out his PokeDex and snapped a quick photo of the hive. He was grateful that the PokeDex made no noise when he took it. If it made that shutter-noise his mom's camera made whenever she took a picture, he would have been in deep shit.

Ash moved away slowly from the buzzing hive and, in the traditional fashion, managed to step on the only fallen branch in the vicinity. Unfortunately for him, this particular branch happened to be dry and brittle, and the resounding crack around the clearing was enough to make his eyes close instinctively.

He opened his eyes quickly, and noticed the entire hive had paused, the beedrill hovering in place, looking straight at his position.

The teen didn't move a muscle, going so far as to blink as little as he could. Sheer terror coursed through his veins as the swarm lasered its focus on him. He imagined that they were deciding whether or not he was some strange-looking plant or a threat to the hive.

Venipede had followed suit, moving about as much as a rock does.

Ash's heart jumped into his throat when a single beedrill detached from the swarm and moved towards him. He still didn't move, not daring to instigate the hive into attacking.

His breathing became shallow and erratic as the lone beedrill approached him. He did his absolute best to control his breathing, but he was terrified. He didn't know what to do if a lone beedrill decided to attack him, let alone the whole hive. He wondered why beedrill attacks didn't appear in those survival guides he had read just last night. Those would have been handy right about now.

Sweat beaded on his forehead when the beedrill stopped directly in front of him, stingers thankfully pointed down. There was no way it didn't see him, and if it didn't, Ash was sure it would have sensed the fear rolling off his skin in waves.

A tense moment passed before the beedrill turned away and began to fly back to its nest. Ash let out a quiet breath.

 _That was fucking close._

His breath hitched a moment when the beedrill turned back to him, seemingly gesturing with its head.

 _Does it want me to_ follow _?_ Ash thought, unsure of what was going on.

The beedrill tried again and Ash still stood there. He was sure he was imagining it, but it was right there in front of him, staring him in the face… quite literally.

He turned to Venipede, who gave a reassuring chirr and motioned her head much like the beedrill had, towards the tree. The teen gained confidence from this and moved towards the hovering beedrill, who was watching him closely.

It followed him when Ash moved-very carefully-around it. The constant buzzing was a little annoying to him, but he wasn't about to point that out to them.

A minute later, and Ash was at the base of the tree, looking straight up. If the tree seemed large before, it was nothing compared to how it felt now. Ash felt smaller than a caterpie looking up at the swarm, which had resumed its earlier behavior.

"Wonder how we're gonna get up there?" Ash wondered aloud. Before he could say anything, though, he felt something lift him by the armpits into the air. He struggled momentarily before calming down. It was a long drop down at this point.

On the short ride up, Ash wondered how strong this beedrill was. It was about his height give or take an inch, which wasn't incredibly tall. A beedrill's wings did not appear to be built for heavy lifting, but apparently they could.

In moments, he was dropped off in one of the larger holes in the tree, near the top where it had begun to narrow. A few beedrill buzzed in and out of the hole, none of them giving him more than a glance.

He turned to the beedrill. It only pointed its stinger towards the darkness and flew off to join the swarm. Venipede chittered again, this time, Ash noticed, with excitement. As Ash delved into the wide hole, Venipede's shifting and general mood increased steadily. Ash didn't pay it much mind, assuming their proximity to such a large amount of bug-types was to blame.

Suddenly, Ash was thrust into a large cavernous space. It was bright, due to the open space above him. The inside was carved out smoothly and with great care. It took a second before Ash noticed the _massive_ beedrill on the other side of the space.

The creature was probably ten feet long from head to tail stinger, and its arm stingers looked like they could penetrate steel; Ash had no doubts.

The next thing Ash noticed was the large amount of light-yellow objects surrounding the large beedrill.

His brain quickly caught up with him, and he realized that this was the Queen of the hive, and she was surrounded by hundreds of eggs.

He looked to see that Venipede had bowed her head to the Queen, who reciprocated. Ash was momentarily surprised before remembering his manners and bowed as well.

A feminine, yet powerful voice pervaded his mind.

' _Who are you, youngling? What has brought you here to my colony?'_

Ash was shocked, for lack of a better word. He barely managed to speak properly.

"Uh, my name is Ash. I, um, kind of found this place. Sorry." Ash added hurriedly.

The Queen laughed before speaking.

' _There is no need to apologize, child. You have done no harm.'_ She paused. ' _May I ask you something?'_

Ash nodded, not wanting to fumble his words.

' _Usually, if a human would have stumbled upon us, he would have died. However, you on the other hand are different. When I received reports of a human boy on the edge of the clearing, I figured that just another human wandered too far and got himself lost. I was about to have you killed when I received another bit of information that most likely saved your life.'_

Ash gulped heavily. Images of bleached bones danced across his mind.

The Queen continued, ' _He stated that there was an aura around you, one that oddly compelled him to protect you from whatever danger you may face, as one would do an infant. I feel it now as well, and it is odd that I do. I love my people, even if it is more as a whole than individual. However, for me to feel so compelled to protect you, a complete and total stranger, I might add, is beyond my understanding. So I ask you, do you know anything about this?'_

Ash was dumbfounded. He couldn't formulate another thought as he processed this information. An aura surrounding him? He wasn't even sure what an "aura" meant. He managed to shake his head, but that was about it.

' _I figured as such. It is very strange indeed. I have seen many, many seasons, but I have never felt any feeling like this in all that time. You seem to be a very good person, Ash.'_

She sighed mentally.

' _I realize that you are not a threat to me or my people, so you are welcome here. If you find yourself needing our assistance, do not hesitate to ask. You would be hard-pressed to find a task that we could not complete.'_

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Ash bowed as the Queen bowed her head.

' _Before you leave, I would like to give you something.'_

"Oh?"

' _One of my guards will bring you to one of the groups of weedle within the hive, and I will allow you to bring one with you, if they choose to go. I can't protect you when you leave; I have a hive to run. But one of the hive may be able to do just that.'_

Ash was left without any words once more before replying with a polite 'Thank you.'

The teen and his starter were escorted out of the large room by a beedrill, who brought them through a maze of tunnels before arriving at a decently sized room with a hole leading outside into the dying light.

About thirty weedle crawled about the room. Some shot string at the walls while others wrestled. The guard beedrill got their attention and spoke to them in their own language before a crowd of weedle crowded around Ash.

"I suppose I get to bring one of you with me. So, who will it be?"

Ash instantly regretted saying that, because the weedle all crowded even closer to him, spilling up his legs a bit.

"Okay, okay. Um…" Ash covered his eyes with a hand.

"Eenie, meenie, miney, moe. Catch a growlithe by its toe. If he howls let him go. I choose you!"

Ash uncovered his eyes and saw he had pointed at a weedle halfway in the small crowd away from him. Its eyes widened and it crawled over to him excitedly. He let it crawl onto his other shoulder, where it settled down.

Ash pulled out his PokeDex and scanned the weedle, who looked at the device with curiosity.

 **Weedle, the Hairy Bug Pokemon.**

 **Weedle has an extremely acute sense of smell. It is capable of distinguishing its favorite kinds of leaves from those it dislikes just by sniffing with its big red proboscis, which appears to be a nose.**

 **This pokemon is female and has the ability Run Away.**

He glanced over weedle's moveset before pocketing the 'Dex and asking the beedrill guard politely to fly him down to the ground as fast as it could. The other, unchosen weedle looked murderous.

When his feet touched the ground, he thanked the beedrill, who nodded and flew off. Ash gave a sigh of deep relief. When he was thinking of adventure, this was not what he was expecting. He looked up and noticed that the sun was half past the tops of the surrounding trees. It was getting dark.

So, Ash made a smart decision and made camp at the base of the tree. It was nice out, so he decided to unroll his sleeping bag, not bothering to set up his tent. Venipede and Weedle were on the ground, conversing and probably getting to know each other. Ash smiled. They seemed to get along just fine.

Before it got too dark, the trio made their way towards the treeline for firewood, and for Ash to do his business. They returned, Ash with an armful of sticks and dry bark, and started a small fire in a dirt patch away from the tall grass.

When the stars were out, Ash was sitting up in his sleeping bag, an arm around each of his pokemon. They had begun to doze off, but Ash was still thinking about the day's events. He particularly remembered how the Queen had said that there was an aura around him that made pokemon want to protect him. Ash had no clue what it was or what it meant, but it did answer some questions. Why else could he have stopped a stampeding tauros herd with little effort?

Ash chuckled to himself. His eyelids were beginning to droop, and he was asleep before he knew it, Venipede's pokeball resting in his hands.

 **Well, that's that.**

 **It is almost eleven at night, but I stayed up just for you guys. I hope this chapter satisfies you.**

 **Otherwise, I'd like to know if I'm going too fast or slow. I think the story is going too slow, but I want to know what you think. So,** **review** **, people! Muy importante!**

 **I highly appreciate constructive criticism, so if you have suggestions pertaining to the story, don't hesitate to PM me.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **A.N. I'm back with yet another chapter of** _ **Only Human**_ **, and I hope it continues to hold your interests.**

 **I, for one, am glad at the reviews I have received. It's like writing fuel, just ask any other fanfiction writer on this site. I also love ideas. PM me if you have any cool ideas that you believe would fit into the story. If I use your idea, I will give you credit in each chapter you contributed to. To be honest, I am writing this story off the top of my head, though I do have a few ideas bouncing around in this strange mind of mine.**

 **On a sadder note, I may or may not be able to post as often as I would like, since college is just around the corner and all that jazz. I also need to get a job this summer, otherwise things won't be too good for me. The worst of it all is the fact that during the summer, I don't have any way to post. I lose my school laptop for the summer and I have no wifi at my house. -_-**

 **BUT! I will try my damndest to deliver joy to you guys and gals if I can.**

 **Depressing news aside, the chapter is right about here, I believe.**

Ash slept heavily, unaware of the morning's rays peeking over the treetops as his two bug-types conversed with each other. They had been chatting for a couple hours now, each wanting to get an idea of what the other was like.

In the middle of a conversation about the distinct taste of maple leaves, something caught Venipede's eye. With a chitter, she wrestled herself free of Ash's grip and made her way over to his backpack, where a strange, purple object was sticking out. Venipede grasped the strange object in her small mandibles and pulled it into the open. Weedle quickly joined her in looking at the item laying in the grass. The sun glinted off it momentarily before it resumed its dull appearance.

Weedle nudged it after some deliberation and flinched before nudging it again. Nothing of interest happened.

Her counterpart sighed and grabbed it again in her mandibles before biting down on it.

A loud squeal echoed through the clearing, jolting Ash from sleep. He searched around confusedly before giving out a gut-busting laugh.

Weedle was shaking her head wildly with her eyes jammed shut while Venipede held one of his potions in her jaws, staring at it cross-eyed with wonder and surprise.

Ash was still giggling as he made his way over to the flailing bug-type. After a few attempts, he succeeded in picking her up without getting stabbed in the process. He attempted to calm her, wiping the tears from his eyes as he explained what happened to her.

When he finished, she gave a dirty look to both the potion and its carrier, who wore a smug look on her face. Ash chuckled again and set the weedle down, moving back to his pack and zipping it closed.

A few buzzes sounded and Ash looked up to see a few beedrill poking their heads out of the tree, along with a few weedle. He waved up to them.

"It's alright! Nothing serious!"

That seemed to appease them, as most of them returned to whatever they were doing.

The teen turned to see his pokemon giving each other dirty looks.

"Hey, girls!" He said before they turned to him.

"Let's get something to eat first before the ultimate showdown, alright?" Ash said, barely able to keep the laughter out of his voice.

He turned to the campsite as the pair flashed each other another glare before following him, each trying to ignore the other.

They both perked up, however, when the young man sat and produced sandwiches from his pack. Neither of them knew what they were exactly, but they could smell them - and they smelled _good_.

Before Ash could react, they were on him, trying to reach the delicious-smelling confections in his hands.

"I guess I don't have to ask you if you like pinap berries, then." He stated good-naturedly.

The girls made another grab for the sandwiches again, and this time, they were successful. They went to town on the food, not sparing a moment to properly chew. Bits of sandwich flew as they ate.

Ash's jaw hung as he watched in awe. He made a mental note to eat slower next time. He couldn't believe that he looked like that when he ate. Now he knew what his poor mother had to go through mealtimes.

It only took them a minute to finish, which was impressive considering their sizes. Shaking the feeling of shame off, Ash packed up the few things he brought out as his pokemon watched, bellies full.

Ash went to pick up his pack before he nearly tripped on something. He looked down to see a pokeball. It looked fairly new. He wondered if someone lost it before he mentally facepalmed. This was Venipede's 'ball. He stuck the sphere in his pocket, which reminded him of something.

"Hey, Weedle," he said, getting her attention, "I think I should capture you here, you know. It would be smart to do it now."

She only nodded and Ash dug a pokeball out from within the depths of his pack. He picked her up and tapped the button to her head, which, along with the rest of her body, became a red mass of energy and was sucked into the 'ball. As soon as Weedle was within, the button clicked.

Ash smiled. 'I caught my first pokemon!'

A feeling of elation surged through his body, erasing any lingering exhaustion within him. Weedle had already been a part of his team, but now it was official.

He tossed the orb in the air once before releasing the bug-type. She and Venipede both climbed onto his shoulder before the trio made their way into the forest, right where Ash first saw the ancient beedrill tree, which he glanced back at before making his way back into the underbrush, a new companion on his shoulder and the proof of capture in his pocket.

Ash munched on his sandwich as he emerged from the foliage. Either he was in a really good mood or this pinap sandwich was the most amazing thing he had ever tasted.

He hummed to himself, just taking in the scenery around him. It was peaceful, and Ash could appreciate that. His two pokemon chattered to each other on his shoulders, back to normal again.

An idea wormed its way into Ash's mind, not letting go. He decided to act on it.

"Hey, Venipede, Weedle… Do you want names?" He asked quietly.

He got his answer in the form of happy squeals and friendly headbutts.

"I'll have to think of some first, but I'll let you know if I think of a good one." Ash said. Weedle and Venipede chittered at him before resuming their conversation.

Now Ash had something to occupy his mind. He wanted to think of fitting names for the both of them, which was no easy task. Names like 'Stinger' and 'Bugsby' nearly instantly came to mind, but he shooed those thoughts away, though he did laugh at the idea of sending out 'Bugsby' into battle.

In the hours that followed, Ash thought up a plethora of names, running them by his pokemon as he went. Some of his favorites for Venipede included Jade, Sierra, and Bianca.

Venipede pondered over her name as her friend, now named Videl, wore her name with pride.

She gave off happy little squeals as she turned the name over in her mind. She and Ash had gone through many nicknames. Most were tempting but she knew she found the right one when she heard it. It rolled off the tongue quite nicely.

As they neared the city, Ash noticed that more and more pokemon began to appear in the trees. He made his way up a small rise and found himself on the edge of a large plain, the city itself shining in the distance. Ash had not really noticed how pretty the city looked the other times he had been there, though something about beholding something with nothing separating you from it was much more exhilarating…

He wasted no time in making his way across the plain. More and more people began to appear. It started off with the odd person in the tall grass, probably looking for pokemon, then it turned into an actual crowd once he reached the city itself.

In the times Ash had been there before, he had never really bothered to take in the sights Viridian had to offer. A few skyscrapers dotted the landscape, many smaller buildings squeezed in between. The sun had begun to sink behind the horizon, its blazing reflection dancing off the glass, the sheer brilliance of it blinding Ash a bit. Neon lights had begun to shine, advertising everything from alcohol to eyewear.

Ash had been so busy taking in the sights, he had stumbled right into someone.

"Oof! Hey, could you watch where you're going, kid?" The stout man said, trying to be polite.

"Sorry, sir. N-never been here before." Ash apologized and hurried off, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. If he was honest with himself, crowds were not his thing. A feeling of uneasiness wormed its way into him and settled down for the ride. Venipede and Videl seemed to notice this and made chirring noises at him, calming him down a bit.

At least he wasn't alone here.

He smiled, if only to comfort himself, and continued on, searching for the Pokemon Center, where he knew he could get some food in his belly and a place to sleep.

He walked for a half hour before realizing he was hopelessly lost. He had attempted to follow the signs, but he had only managed to get himself everywhere but where he needed to be. Swallowing his nervousness, he approached a friendly-looking fellow sitting on a bench, reading a newspaper. Ash cleared his throat and the man looked at him questioningly.

"Um, do you know where, uh, where the Pokemon Center is?" Ash asked. The young man flashed him a smile and adjusted his glasses.

"Of course I do! Just go down two blocks and hang a right. It should be smack dab in the middle of the park at the end of the road. Can't miss it." He smiled again.

"Oh, thank you. I got lost." Ash said sheepishly.

"Don't fret, happens to me all the time." The man said before going back to his newspaper after a polite pause in conversation.

Ash followed the man's directions and found himself staring at the large building in front of him. If Ash could use one word to describe it, it would be 'archy,' if that was a word.

He entered the double doors and found himself in a large lobby. The overall color was red, giving it a warm, homey feeling. To his left, there were a few couches facing a TV, which was showing a newslady giving a report. To his right was a doorway leading into a cafeteria, which was mostly empty. Directly in front of him was a desk, with a woman with curled, pink hair behind it, along with a chansey.

Ash immediately recognized the woman as the local Nurse Joy, remembering that they were the people who helped heal pokemon, which he didn't really need at the moment, and were in charge of most everything in a Center.

He approached her, and she gave him a smile. "Welcome to the Viridian Pokemon Center, can I help you, young man?"

"Yeah, I was wondering if I could get a room for the night, please." Ash said tiredly. It was too late for him.

"Of course, could I have your trainer card, please?"

Ash didn't know what the hell she was talking about. "What?"

Nurse Joy immediately replied, "If you have been officially registered as a trainer, you should have been given a trainer card, which serves as identification. Without it, you'll need to pay for a room."

Ash blinked. "I am a trainer, but I haven't registered, I don't think. Do you know where I can register?"

Nurse Joy giggled. "You can register right here, if you would like."

Ash smiled and gave a short nod. "Yes, please. Thank you."

"No problem," Joy said, "Which Professor did you go to to get your starter? I'm guessing you went to Oak down in Pallet, but you never know."

"Yeah, I went to Oak's." Ash said.

The woman turned to her computer. "Alright, let me see here… aha! Ash Ketchum, is that right?"

Ash nodded again. Nurse Joy grunted. "I figured as such. The other three I see listed here have already registered."

This didn't surprise Ash. It took him nearly two full days to get from Pallet to Viridian. His little foray into the woods didn't help, but he still would prefer having Videl over being first to Viridian.

Speaking of, she had begun to doze off, along with Venipede. They were positioned so they wouldn't fall off, fortunately.

The next five minutes consisted of Ash giving off personal information for Nurse Joy to rapidly type into the computer. When they finished, a small ding sounded.

"Well, now we need to take your picture and we'll be all set." She said energetically, which surprised Ash a bit. He felt like he was going to drop any minute now, and she sounded like she was ready to begin the day with a smile.

She motioned for him to follow her into a small back room, where a nice-looking camera stood facing a large green cloth which hung from the ceiling, not that Ash noticed.

"Just stand on that 'x' and I'll take your picture. And please try to look awake, can't have you falling asleep on me." She gave a high-pitched, yet comforting laugh and Ash chuckled.

He positioned himself in front of the camera and tried to look as awake as he could, despite the feeling of lead pulling down his eyelids.

He flashed a smile and it was over. He slumped over a bit and sighed. He had forgotten about food at this point. Bed was very much at the forefront of his mind. Nurse Joy giggled giddily.

"Awww, you look so adorable with your pokemon all sleeping on your shoulders. So cute!" She gushed with absolute sincerity, which caused Ash to blush heavily and look away, eyes slightly unfocused.

Back at the desk, Nurse Joy handed him his card and a key to one of the Center's rooms. He looked at the photo and smiled at the two sleepyheads, who were fully unaware of the small photoshoot they had been unwillingly subjected to.

"Hey, Ash," Nurse Joy said softly, "Which one is your starter? Just curious."

He gestured his head towards Venipede, who had just chirred softly in her sleep.

Nurse Joy hummed in acknowledgment before shooing Ash off to bed, saying 'If you fall asleep here, people will trip all over you and fall on their faces.'

Ash worked his way towards his room, which was thankfully on the ground floor. He fumbled clumsily with the key before opening the door and shutting it quickly. Being careful not to disturb the girls, he set them gently on the bed next to each other. He would have found it to be cute, but he was too tired to notice. The solid-iron pack came off and Ash found himself snuggled up to the soft pillows, completely in love with them by the time he fell asleep moments later.

A dull ache in his legs pulled Ash from sleep, much to his displeasure. Actually, make that three dull aches. He reached down and pulled two pokeballs and a strange rock from his sweatshirt pockets. He had forgotten to remove the sweatshirt from his waist in his haste to get to sleep.

He stared blankly at the two 'balls, then looked at their inhabitants, who were still sleeping, curled around each other and with peaceful expressions on their faces. Ash smiled and lightly stroked Videl's back, earning him a small squirm. Getting up from the bed as slowly as he could, Ash grabbed a fresh set of clothes from his organized backpack and made his way into the utilitarian en suite.

Fifteen minutes later, Ash emerged from the bathroom, smelling not of sweat and grime, but of lavender and peaches, much to his dismay. Apparently the Center didn't have complimentary mens' products, but a shower was a shower, even if it did leave him smelling like a perfume shop.

Venipede and Videl had woken up by this time, apparently wondering where Ash was, since they gave off loud squeals and launched themselves at him, nearly toppling him over in the process.

"Hey, girls. Miss me?" Ash said teasingly. They both gave him excited nods before cuddling him. He hugged them happily before nearly dropping them when they both tried to take a bite out of his hair. He held them both away from him slightly.

"Hmm, I wonder if you're hungry," He said dryly before his stomach growled in response. "I wasn't talking to you!" He shouted at his stomach before laughing. Videra and Venipede gave him weird looks before making chittering noises.

"I guess we haven't eaten in a while, huh?" He said before heading for the cafeteria, his companions nodding in full agreement.

Ash shoveled his breakfast in as politely as he could, which wasn't very polite. The longest he had ever been without anything to eat was half a day; his mother kept him well-fed, even if his thin frame didn't show it.

His pokemon mimicked him, devouring their own dishes of pokemon food. The few others in the cafeteria tried to look anywhere but at Ash and the two bug-types along with him. Ash noticed this and slowed down. His face was tinted red and he tried to hide it in sheer embarrassment.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked, seeing that it was Richard and Emily.

Richard laughed. "Quite the show you put on there, Ash. I've got to say, I'm impressed."

Ash's blush only deepened before he awkwardly chuckled. "Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. I forgot to eat last night."

Emily decided to join the conversation. "I see. By the way, where is your starter? Is it still with Nurse Joy?" She looked back towards the desk, craning her neck.

"I didn't get a starter," Ash said. Emily whipped her head back to face him, eyes wide. Ash realized what he said and quickly corrected himself.

"I meant I didn't get a normal starter. Instead, I got Venipede." He said gesturing to her. At the sound of her name, Venipede perked her head up, looking at Ash before resuming her meal.

"Where did you get it? I don't think Kanto has those." Richard seemed curious. Emily didn't care where she came from. She just wanted to give Venipede a hug since she was so cute! Emily had never seen one either, but she knew she wanted one.

Ash was quick to answer, "Professor Oak gave her to me. She's from Unova."

"That's on the other end of the planet," Richard said, mildly impressed.

Ash shrugged with a smirk, secretly relishing the incredulity in the other man's voice. "I don't know how he got her to the Corral, but the Professor has his ways."

He continued, "So, what pokemon did you guys catch?"

"I only have Charmander and Pidgey so far," Emily said. "I haven't caught a lot, but Richard caught a few."

Said boy grunted an affirmative. "I have Bulbasaur, Rattata, Spearow, and Caterpie, so far. But, even though I have more pokemon," Richard stopped and looked at Emily, "Her pokemon beat the crap out of mine. First, she beat Bulbasaur with her charmander just after we got our starters, then she beat me again with only two pokemon, and I have four!" He pouted.

Emily laughed and socked him gently on the shoulder. "Maybe I'm just a better trainer than you."

"I told you this, I wasn't ready!"

"You asked me for a battle - both times." She shot back, a victorious look gleaming in her eyes.

This left him quiet, and Ash trying not to laugh as hard as he could. He tried to speak on multiple occasions, but his nonstop laughing left him breathless, and Richard rolling his eyes as obviously as he could, though he couldn't suppress the small smile at Ash.

Emily flashed Ash a grin and started heading out of the cafeteria. "Hope we'll see you again, Ash. You might find us in the shopping district if you head that way, but we'll be on our way through the Viridian Forest before too long."

Then she was gone.

Richard sighed. "She can never sit still. I swear, it seems that if she stayed in one place for more than a couple of minutes, she'd die." He groaned. "Guess I should follow her. I hope she grows out of this restless phase of hers. You have no idea how annoying it is when you're trying to relax and people want to conquer the world."

Ash flashed him a sympathetic smile before Richard made his way after his friend, hands in his pockets.

The young man chuckled before picking up his girls, who were getting a bit durantsy. "Well, I guess we better go shopping, too. I think we should get some antidotes before we get into the forest. Lots of poison types to worry about." He started rambling to himself about things he might need. "Berries, food, potions…" His mind was on autopilot before he stopped himself just before the door to the outside. 'Maybe I should get some directions first. Wandering the streets of Viridian for a day doesn't sound like something I want to do.'

After getting directions from the ever-so-helpful Nurse Joy, Ash set out to obtain the gear necessary to survive in the wild. He picked up his usual items from a nearby PokeMart and a hatchet along with a utility knife from a hardware store. He also picked up a pokeball belt. He hadn't thought about it until he noticed a few trainers wearing them. He found it to be much more convenient than carrying the pokeballs in his pocket.

He stuck the items in his expansive bag and headed back to the Center, belt around his waist, and quite happy that he now knew where he was most of the time.

A feeling of satisfaction warmed Ash's heart as he strolled along the sidewalk. There was nothing like feeling truly prepared for whatever lay ahead.

Numerous firetrucks, along with a few police cars and motorcycles, flew past Ash at speed, blaring their sirens and simultaneously scaring him. He shook his head and continued on, a bit worried about the possibility of a fire. His concern grew as the vehicles made a turn, right where he was supposed to be heading.

He neared the corner and Ash found himself hearing screams in the distance, along with loud rumbling noises. The boy rounded the corner and balked at the sight. A block away, the Pokemon Center was in flames, smoke billowing out of multiple broken windows. The screams were louder now, as well as the rumbling noise.

Ash ran at a dead sprint towards the commotion, fearing for anybody within the building. He could see a number of water-types attempting to quench the roaring flames, which had begun to rise even further.

A crowd had already formed, many within already recording the fire, and was being held back by a small number of officers. A few brave firemen had managed to drag out a few people covered in blood and soot. Ash flinched when he noticed one of those people was a little girl, probably no older than four, who had a large tear in her leg. Her screams were blood-curdling. A loud groan emitted from the burning building, and the structure collapsed inwards slightly, sending up millions of embers and a few bits of shrapnel.

Sounds of arguing reached Ash's ears, enticing him to listen in. He worked his way through the thick crowd towards the noise. He eventually found a pair of men staring each other down, necks tense and bodies posed aggressively. One was a firefighter, while the other was who he assumed to be the Chief of Police.

"I'm telling you, this building is going to collapse any minute! The structural integrity is declining every second! It would be suicide!" The firefighter gestured wildly with his hands towards the raging blaze.

"I am not willing to let nearly twenty people die because you don't want to risk a firefighter or two to at least try to help them!" The Chief retorted. "You may lose a man or two, but would you rather lose two men trying to help, or lose all those people because it 'wasn't worth it'?" The Chief's voice got angrier somehow.

The other man looked back at the Center before turning back to the older man. "Look at those beams! They're getting weaker, and that means that this is no normal fire. This has to be a gas fire or an incredibly strong pokemon, otherwise those things wouldn't be melting!"

The Chief let out a huff before crossing his arms. "So you're saying there's no use? Nonsense!" The firefighter flinched. "If you have any heart in there, you know that letting those people burn to death is just like torching them yourself! I don't care what it takes, you get your asses in there and do something about it! If those guys could get those others out, then you can get these citizens, too!"

The firefighter seemed abashed for a moment, before steeling his gaze. "I'm sorry, but I will not do it. Within ten minutes, this thing is gone… that's a fact, sir. We have no clues where they are in the building, and if something kills my men, then there are more lives lost than needed. That is final." He crossed his arms and stood straight.

Ash slinked away towards the front of the crowd, having heard what he wanted. The building continued to burn as the firefighters decided to call it. The water stopped gushing and the men retreated from the site.

An avalanche of emotions tumbled through Ash's mind, growing bigger and bigger as it went. A loud, shrill scream echoed from within the Center, and everything stopped. The onlookers quit mumbling and stared while the officers wore disheartened looks.

The teen's heart sank as he realized that all those people were going to die, along with the hundreds of pokemon that resided within. The avalanche continued, and it had apparently begun to show on his face, since Videl and Venipede chirred and chittered worriedly at him. A tear wove its way down his cheek before he recalled them without any warning and leapt over the small barrier, much to the nearby strangers' surprise.

He ignored the shouts as he made a mad dash for the doors, which were remarkably intact. He collided with one and tumbled inside, inhaling a decent amount of smoke as he did so. He dropped down near the floor and crawled towards the desk, violently coughing. A loud groan sounded and a large chunk of steel fell directly in front of his only exit, effectively blocking him in. He quickly blocked his face before a few sharp bits sank into his arms. He cried out before resuming his now painful journey to the desk.

His eyes stung and he was sweating profusely by the time he had propped himself up against the stone. Moments later, Ash's shirt was off and wrapped around his head.

He sat against the cool stone, staring at the useles doors, with shrapnel embedded in his arms. A moment later, and the severity of the situation pounded its way into his skull. Adrenaline still coursed through his veins, yet he sat there, regretting his moronic decision. Of course, his emotions had managed to best him yet again and get him in trouble. This time however, he thought grimly, the consequences were final, and there was no escape.

 **I was not kidding when I said this is all off the top of my head. I didn't even think about the fire until halfway in, but it made it. Oh, and I am so sorry about the long wait. I got sidetracked and kind of bored of the story, but now I'm pumped again. I promise you I will not abandon this story without any warnings. If I do abandon it, it will be a long ways in the future and you will get a notice. Even so, it'll probably be just a hiatus.**

 **Like I said, I will try to update during the summer, but it will be busy, and I lose my computer tomorrow since it's not technically mine.**

' **Nuff said! I'll see you in the next chapter! Buh-bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. Hi guys, and sorry for the long wait, and the end of this story. I lost the energy and all enthusiasm for this story as the summer went on, so I've decided to end it. I apologize if any of you really enjoyed this story, but not to worry!**

 **I have another story in the works, and the best part is I've been planning the story for some time now, instead of just writing whatever appears in my head and going with it. There will be multiple plot arcs and they will interconnect, so I'm super excited about it. It is original, since I have never seen certain aspects of it in a story yet, and I've read many stories here.**

 **Again, I'm so sorry if you guys wanted this to continue, but this story's gone into the dirt and I don't want to write it anymore. It's kind of bland and it seems rather cliché in many ways. Hopefully this new one will be as original as I think it is!**

 **Check my profile, as I will be updating it soon and thank you for reading!**


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